A New Decade
A new decade is here. Not the one that started Jan 1st, but the one marked by my new bike. By habit, this bike will occupy the #1 spot for 10 years, give or take, until another bike happens. That’s the way of bikes– the best ones simply happen. I don’t go shopping, or even buying. I just suddenly have a new bike. (Except that they’re always used.) It’s a strange approach, given the length of the commitment, but it’s been working so far.
In the ’90s, bike #1 was a Cannondale CAD 3 (with Suntour 7 spd). In the ’00s, bike #1 was a Cannondale R3000 (with DuraAce 9 spd). Now, I am a proud member of the modern age in my Felt F1 (with DuraAce 10 spd). The acquisition of the Felt had no premeditation, no research, no method. I was not actively looking for a new bike. (One is, of course, always passively looking for another bike.) The Cannondales were each from [different] cousins of Will Frischkorn, and both came from conversations that started, “Hey I might be able to get you a bike”.
This one has a story too. This bike comes from Danny Pate, formerly of Team Garmin, more recently of HTC, and next season of Team Sky. Frank found it, via Pate’s twitter feed, and sent me the link along with some taunt about carbon. It was late on a Wednesday night, I was full of scotch, and my lovely wife was out of town…so I joined twitter and posted a reply. I talked to Pate on the phone that weekend, sent him a check, and ba-da-bing: bike arrives the following Thursday (complete, sans wheels, as agreed). He even included a matching team kit, still in the wrapper– a gentleman and a scholar, Mr Pate.
Frank lent me some spare wheels, and I’m off to the future. The hills on our regular training lap are still higher at the top than at the bottom, but that’s about the only thing that is the same. This bike is fast.
Now I just need to “happen” some wheels for permanent use. And a flat stem, of course.
Will you be riding this awesome bike this weekend on Whidbey island?
How cool he sent you matching kit, first class.
That’s sweet. Nothing like bikes with pedigree.
@Marko
IS there a dispensation to Rule #17 if the team kit has come directly from a team member?
Congrats! Nice Ride, I love my Felt TT bike.
I also achieved the N+1 status again this weekend with a “new to me” 2009 Cannondale Super-six Mod 1. Full Dura-ace, etc. I was also not really looking and have just been putting lots of miles on the ‘Ol Waterford crit bike since I went N-1 earlier in the season, when this deal fell my way. Can’t wait to get my fit dialed in and see how stiff this BB30 really is.
I guess the new cross-bike is just going to have to wait or I may have to contract the divorce lawyer.
Sweet rig. It’s super cool to read about new biked.
@Chris
Similarly, the question has arisen as to what to do with the name badge. The Pate badge is pretty damn cool, but seems exactly the same amount of wrong to ride with. Jimmy it thinking up some creative solutions.
Seems like fate that the bike came with a non-standard Thomson seatpin.
@Marko
Because I’m a crap friend, I had forgotten that the ride is on the morning of his wife’s charity run/walk. Despite the fact that one should only ever run while one is being chased, Jim will be doing the walk instead of joining the Cogal.
My VMH will be representing Team Awesome at the walk while we all go off to get lost on an island in Puget Sound.
Super jealous over here, but congrats on the sweet ride.
I thought the team bikes were property of the team, I didn’t realize the riders got to keep them at the end of the year, but then again it makes sense, where else are they going to go?
I got to see Pate 17 times + when I went to the grand prix de montreal this year. He was part of the break and really laying down the V. The 4 weren’t caught until the very end.
The name badge has to stay. How else will he be able to prove the bike was, in fact, Pate’s if he doesn’t keep it? Most will just think it’s a replica.
Just like love. It never happens when you’re looking for it, rather it smacks you upside the head when you least expect it.
Nice find Jim. I’ve got major carbone for Felt bikes, though I’d never have the cajones to ride a team-branded bike because then people would expect me to actually go fast and whatnot. Yours is special though, since it was actually ridden by a pro. Pure awesome.
Beautiful ride. I’m off to look for one in the near future, as my near decade ago beloved Bianchi was stolen last week. Meantime I’m riding my first real race bike, a steel mid-80’s Lotus with Shimano 600. Weeeee.
Or course, if I find who stole my Bianchi I will kill and eat them.
@mcsqueak
One of Jim’s ideas for the name badge is to have one made that says “Previously ridden faster by” and put it right above the Pate badge. I think that’s pretty fuckin’ cool.
Very nice Jim! I like how a plan comes together like that. I too agree the name badge has to stay and the “Previously ridden faster by” tag to be the perfect solution to the issue. Now be off with you and enjoy your new ride!
fasthair
@frank
Keeps the old badge while basically acknowledging that the new rider fully respects the old. Perfect solution.
Awesomeness! Good score Jimbo…
@King Clydesdale
I agree, I think that would be a perfect idea, as you could always pull the additional wording off if you wind up not liking it.
@Erik
That would best be done at a post Cogal BBQ, it’d get the message out. “Generally, we’re pretty cool and will look at hardships as an opportunity to HTFU but don’t fuck with the bikes!”
Great story, and bike!
I think that the name badge should stay as it is.
Bel mezzo!
It’s a very special confluence of events that has brought you that bike @jim. It suggests that you have been a very good fella in a past life. Well done.
I’m with @Pedale.Forchetta
I reckon that when you do have the great good fortune to inherit a Pro team bike, you don’t mess with it. Just try to honour it the best you can by smashing all that come before you. Same with the Garmin Kit. Use it, I’d suggest. There would have to be special dispensation given based on its origins.
This is a very cool acquisition indeed. Being in the museum world as I am, a good provenance is a very big deal, so by all means keep the name badge. My question is, how intact do you keep the bike? What is permissable to swap out? bars? pedals? stem? It’s already got non-issue wheels. Do you just keep the frame and basic gruppo?
I’ve got major bone for those carbone Rotundos you’ve got on there, Sonny Jim. I also love the classic weave on the carbon of the frame. Class stuff. Just wait until you get some decent wheels on there.
@frank
Nice ride! I wish I knew some pro riders.
Add another sticker that says “This came from…”
Jim, I hate you, and I hate your new bike. I hate that your bike is fast and may even make you look fast, and that it is smooth and may make even the Tonka brand toy jackhammers that are your little legs look smooth in your pedal stroke. I especially hate that I didn’t find out about your new bike until 3 days after you received it, from your wife, in a story she was telling to somebody else. Dude, I thought we were family.
Again, beautiful bike. I think that the previously ridden faster buy is the way to go. Coincidentally, I came upon used (not by anything even resembling a pro) Felt today. We’ll see if I can get the purchase past my wonderful wife.
Just put an accent on the Pate to say Paté.
Or you could add an apostrophe NT – as in PATE’NT. See what I did there?
I have just bought a LOOK 585 and I can attest that the longest wait in the the world is the time between handing over your credit card details and taking posession of the goodies…
@Joshua
I’ll second this notion, although with a little less vehemence purely for the fact that I’ve never met you so it could be considered harsh.
That being said I’m extremely jealous of the methods employed to gain ownership of this steed, must work on my connections in the LBS scene here as many of the wrenches end up getting attached to the smaller teams at the TDU each year…goodies may abound!
Lovely piece of philosophy for life in general right there.
I met my wife applying a similar principle.
@michael
A+1
@harminator
It’s like adult Christmas. In every way.
Seconding @michael: Give the “e” an accent. Everybody loves paté!
Too bad it doesn’t come with Pate’s V-Twin motor
@King Clydesdale
Like it used to be John Voigt’s car?
Cover up the D Pate without erasing it by using a top-tube protector ?
I’m sure you could find one in a lovely argyle pattern to match the Garmin paint job.
And you’d blend in with all the hipsters over your way. Everyone’s a winner !
Nice one sir. I like the way to top tube fillets? into the seat tube. Handsome, strong and aero.
2 yrs into Carbon number one here and still loving every km of it.
“Frank lent me some spare wheels, and I’m off to the future. The hills on our regular training lap are still higher at the top than at the bottom, but that’s about the only thing that is the same. This bike is fast”
AMerckx! Amazing how a new bike makes everything different… enjoy the feeling. Nice post.
@Jim A lovely aquisition and may you inflict many, many years of pain and suffering apon yourself with it. Out of interest what is the big ring, 53?
nothing like a new girl in the shed to reinvigorate your love for all things cycling
very nice looking rig you have there
and PRO to boot
Holy fuck, that is the best reason to join twatter that I’ve ever heard!
Nice score, Jim!
Did the bike show up with that cage or was that one you had around?
Maybe you should get a matching argyle garage door, for photos & such.
I also like the idea of a #1 lasting 10 years, plus or minus. Sounds good to me!
@Steampunk
John or Jens?
@Joshua
Maybe the news just takes longer to make it to Montana.
Why is Frank reading Danny Pate’s twitter? Who cares, I guess professional obligation. One could ask that about me going to Velonews.com every day, I must stop. That site is now an abomination of bad advertising. But I digress, Bless the combination of Frank, scotch, twitter, Pros who change teams, and wives being out of town. I look forward to reports of Jim tearing the legs off everyone in the Northwest. Now for some cool wheels…
@Marko
Gah! I meant Jon. Jon Voigt’s car.
Ok, don’t know where else to post this, but it kinda follows on from the cyclo-crosser taking a tumble at the barrier that was posted the other day. It’s well worth a watch – especially if any Velominati are going to be riding in South Africa any time soon. Or Wisconsin, as I’ve had deer run across my path a little too close for comfort . . . The fact that minutes later the rider is up and seemingly ok, shows a lot of Rule #5.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/video/2011/oct/11/antelope-crashes-cyclist-race-video
ps apologies for the commercial at the beginning.
@wiscot
Having recently been taken out by a car, I found the audio of him moaning a bit disturbing.
“PATE Pending?”
Nice bike, and an even better story. That’s why The Keepers posted it and that’s why you tell it here. Changing the name badge, or anything else on the bike, in my opinion, for any reasons other than fit and feel, takes away most if not all of the beauty of the story. Then, it’s just another used bike, right? I say ride that bike as is, adding no “explanatory stickers or accents”. Let your story explain it all…and tell that story every chance you get.
@wiscot
Just saw this on the evening news. Pretty wild, pun intended…
@Gianni
Frank, scotch, twatter, Pros changing teams & wives out of town…It sounds like the beginning of a joke. Or, in this case, the recipe for a new awesome bike.
Sweet bike, Jim! Good work, Frank!
@brett
If it was my bike,
“Balding Pate”